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Fresh

The Tomatometer is 60% or higher.

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The Tomatometer is 59% or lower.

Certified Fresh

Movies and TV shows are Certified Fresh with a steady Tomatometer of 75% or higher after a set amount of reviews (80 for wide-release movies, 40 for limited-release movies, 20 for TV shows), including 5 reviews from Top Critics.

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A documentary film directed by Michael Rapaport about one of the most influential and groundbreaking musical groups in hip-hop history. Having released five gold and platinum selling albums within eight years, A Tribe Called Quest has been one of the most commercially successful and artistically significant musical groups in recent history, and regarded as iconic pioneers of hip hop. The band's sudden break-up in 1998 shocked the industry and saddened the scores of fans, whose appetite for the group's innovative musical stylings never seems to diminish. A hard-core fan himself, Rapaport sets out on tour with A Tribe Called Quest in 2008, when they reunited to perform sold-out concerts across the country, almost ten years after the release of their last album, The Love Movement. -- (C) Sony Classics… More

Critic Reviews for Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest

This authorized documentary is more of a celebration of the legendary Queens quartet than a serious exploration of their art. But considering how brilliant they were at their peak, it's hard to disagree with the general sentiment.

While it's uncertain if A Tribe Called Quest will ever get back together and play again, it's quite certain fans will love and appreciate BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST as their final encore.

Maybe I'm just a sucker for good old fashioned hip-hop, but I found Michael Rapaport's totally-by-the-numbers music doco [Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest] absolutely compelling.

Audience Reviews for Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest

A well-rounded, even documentary that provides the viewer with some insight to how people sometimes spawn dissension from what seems like nothing. There's nothing mindblowing here, but it's definitely an interesting watch, even if you're not a fan. You just might have a bit more appreciation for the contributions of the group to hip hop if you are.

'Beats, Rhymes and Life' does a great job of not only explaining the origins and history of A Tribe Called Quest, but also the influence that they had on hip-hop as a whole. The relationship between two leading members, Q-Tip and Phife, is fascinating to see on film, and Rapaport does a great job of capturing the brotherly relationship between the two band members. This documentary is not just for fans of ATCQ, but should be required viewing for all fans of hip-hop. Grade: B+

Music documentaries generally make cringe because they always seem to diminish any regard for the band in question. Beats, Rhymes and Life had the opposite effect on me. It was informative and comprehensive, not to mention very well made and has had the songs of A Tribe Called Quest stuck in my head for days afterward. A lot of the interviews are great but there are a few dipshits around. Interviewing Pharrell Williams before Prince Paul? Seriously...?!?!

I really dug this film a lot. It helps, of course, that I am a huge fan of A Tribe Called Quest, so getting the chance to watch a music documentary about the group and all they've been through and where they'll go to from here was already a giant plus for me. However, what helped further was the skill that first-time director Michael Rapaport had in assembling this thing. He made a lot of good choices that provided for a film that is insightful, entertaining, quite funny at times, and most of all a great listen in terms of hearing musicians both speak and perform. I enjoy a good documentary, especially one with subject matter that I have such a fondness for.